Marketing a Revolution

“Until today, we have not recouped the normal pace of tourism in Egypt. That was expected and it is understandable. But we expect to be back on track by September.”

Egypt is launching a global advertising campaign, pressing for the lifting of remaining travel bans and offering incentives to cut charter flight fees, the minister said.

Stability
The tourism ministry is working with young Egyptians who have launched an “Egypt is Safe” campaign, and is counting on bringing visitors to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the epicentre of protests, as an attraction.

“Tahrir square has become a target for tourists to visit, it has become a popular destination,” Abdel Nour said, adding that social media were also being used to bring back tourists.

Google Inc, whose executive Wael Ghonim played a key role in Egypt’s uprising, wanted to coordinate a marketing campaign with Egyptian tourism authorities and would help with selling airline tickets online, he said.

Egypt has coped with a number of tourism scares in recent years. In 1997, gunmen killed 58 tourists and four Egyptians at an ancient temple near the southern town of Luxor, severely damaging tourism.

From 2004 to 2006, there were a series of deadly bomb attacks at Red Sea resorts in the Sinai, but tourist bookings swiftly recovered.